Adelaide bids to become emissions free

The South Australian government wants to make Adelaide the first carbon emissions-free city in the country.

The government has flagged its plans after signing an international agreement on emission reductions, pledging to cut emissions to 60 per cent of 1990 levels by 2050.

Premier Jay Weatherill says the longer-term objective is to have Adelaide's central business district become carbon neutral by upgrading buildings and switching to electric public and private transport.

That will involve infrastructure upgrades and spending but will put Adelaide a step ahead of other locations which are moving to become carbon neutral by also purchasing offsets.

"The simple way is to buy offsets. But the better way is to try to operate in a way that creates less carbon emissions," Mr Weatherill said on Monday.

The premier said it was a "bold and ambitious goal" but offered South Australia the chance to present the city centre as a place that could operate entirely on a carbon neutral basis.